GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 865
Short Title: Clarify Animal Welfare Statutes. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Harrison, Humphrey, and Dahle (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 10, 2025
*H865 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO AMEND THE DANGEROUS DOG LAWS T O PERMIT A CASE-BY-CASE 2
DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER A DOG TRAINE D FOR DOG FIGHTING IS 3
DANGEROUS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 67-4.1 reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 67-4.1. Definitions and procedures. 7
(a) As used in this Article, unless the context clearly requires otherwise and except as 8
modified in subsection (b) of this section, the term: 9
(1) "Dangerous dog" means 10
a. A a dog that: 11
1.a. Without provocation has killed or inflicted severe injury on a 12
person; or 13
2.b. Is determined by the person or Board designated by the county 14
or municipal authority responsible for animal control to be 15
potentially dangerous because the dog has engaged in one or 16
more of the behaviors listed in subdivision (2) of this 17
subsection. 18
b. Any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog 19
fighting, or any dog trained for dog fighting. 20
…." 21
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 67-4.5 reads as rewritten: 22
"§ 67-4.5. Local ordinances. 23
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to prevent a city or county from adopting or 24
enforcing its own program for control of dangerous dogs.dogs consistent with this Article." 25
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025. 26